Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 546: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of providers who have applied to participate in the new scheme to provide free pre-school year of early childhood care and education; the list of the providers countrywide who will be taking part in this particular scheme; if she expects the scheme to commence in January 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34085/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the implementation of the new scheme to provide a free Pre-School year of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which was announced in April by the Minister of Finance. The scheme is being introduced on the 1st January 2010.

Some 4,700 pre-school services are notified to the Health Service Executive (HSE) and nearly 100 services are registered with the Irish Montessori Educational Board (IMEB). As part of the preparations for introducing the new scheme, my Office wrote to all pre-school service providers in the State in June of this year inviting them to participate in the initiative. To date, applications have been received from approximately 4,180 services. I am informed that some 200 of the services written to have not applied to enter the scheme from January 2010 as they are already satisfactorily funded under other Government schemes such as the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS).

It is expected that a list of participating services will be made available to the City and County Childcare Committees by my Office by the middle of next month when the contract process is completed. Arrangements for the implementation of the scheme are progressing well and it is on course to come into effect from January 2010.